Gragg9: One of the surer bets for next episode is the Nenets demise. (at least it was before I jinxed it). Luckily they never existed in the first place so oh well. They’re just moving to a new plane of non-existence.

Gragg9:Ottomans are by far the most annoying civ to find screenshots of nowadays. Can just one city be taken? Anyway, at this point we’re just watching to see if the Ottomans make it to Endgame. All it takes is one war to knock them out. Even peacekeepers could do the trick. Cross your fingers.

Cloudberg:Tonga takes a 5-point plunge in the rankings, the largest of any civ in several parts, as the Nazca finally break through on what was once a totally stalemated front. More core Tongan cities have fallen and their capital once again seems to be in danger. I don't expect a total elimination, but as Australian units move out of the way to attack New Zealand, Tonga will become even more vulnerable. Expect them to drop more next episode, bar a miracle.

Msurdej:Shattered and Divided, the city states of Nepal hang on by threads as the world continues to stomp on it. Their only mentions this part was of Nuwakot and Kathmandu were in the red, and their completion of the Manhattan project. Could Prithvi be the one to unl;eash nuclear armageddon in Central Asia? Unlikely, due to his 0 nukes and middling nuke use numbers. but still, a PR can dream, cant he?

Cloudberg:Ah yes, Beta Israel, another civ that should be dead but isn't. Can't wait to see them get slaughtered in endgame where there will be no peacekeepers to protect them.

Gragg9:These fancy zoomed out shots courtesy of u/LunarNeedle show just how devastated Selk’nam has been left. They’ve been relegated to the Arctic with only coastal or island cities. The good news is that they don’t border Uruguay anymore. Not that it matters at this point.

Msurdej:The Yup'ik gain another rank, as they are no longer at war with anybody. This gives them more time to work on their scrimshaw, sailing, and sniping. I mean, besides a sweet snipe, Yup'ik's chances of winning are 0. So practice your Pine shots Apaanugpak, and get ready to make some sweet, sweet snipes.

Gragg9:As expected, this was a less than stellar part for the Evenks. All of their stats drooped and there isn’t an expansion prospect in sight. It seems they are still at war with the Nenets and they do have paratroopers, so there is a 0.001% chance they’ll have a sweet city snipe to end the Great Northern Rivalry. Don’t hold your breath for it though.

Gragg9:The coalition against the Vikings may have weakened them in theory, but the Manx wouldn’t know. They’re still stuck under a dense Vikings carpet, the one of the cylinders biggest sleepers to the South. Combine that with relatively few peacekeepers and you have yourself a good - pick for the prediction contest.

Msurdej:Nubia was a no-show this week, but all things considered, Nubia has done better than expected. They were expected to get 37th in the CBRX, but look at them now; 28th. Is it still possible for them to get rigamaroled and swept up by Palmyra, Zimbabwe,or the Moors? Yeah, but with the relatively laziness of these civs and the amount of peacekeepers abound, Nubia looks safe to get into Endgame.

Gragg9:Madagascar is so associated with peacekeepers it can be easy to forget they have a core. Well here it is, and it doesn’t look too bad. They also had the largest jumps in production this part, gaining 66% moving to 19th place in that stat. All that doesn’t mean a whole lot since they can’t expand into Zimbabwe. But it makes me fairly sure we’ll see them in Endgame.

Gragg9:Welcome to another episode of India Nuke Watch! Total Nukes: 6 Nukes Used: 0. Tune in next week for another episode of India Nuke Watch!

Gragg9:Prussia continues to fight like hell, exchanging several cities with the Goths over and over again. Each flip is a blow to their production and population, and yet their stats overall are still increasing. Frederick drops a place this part because he lost a couple cities, possibly for good, but a comeback wouldn't be out of the question.

Gragg9:It’s hard to believe that Parthia is one of the most peaceful places on the cylinder as of late. It seems like an area prime for conflict, between the raze-hungry Goths, the nuke-hungry India, Kazakhs, and Palmyra. Instead Parthia has 0 active wars. Don’t get too comfortable though, all the ingredients for a bloody war are still there.

Gragg9:Apache stats take a mysterious drop this week despite any apparent wars. A golden age ending is possible but for Apache to lose production after 25 turns is some serious stagnation. With top ranked civs on all sides, Apache will but stuck in place for a long time. Haida is the closest thing to a viable target but it will be near impossible to hold those coastal cities with Haida’s navy to contend with.

Gragg9:Venice is sitting tight while the region around them burns to the ground. Maybe they’ll even manage to nab a Ottoman city, buy I’m not getting my hopes up. They can only benefit from the conflicts between Prussia and Goths and Vikings and everyone.

Cloudberg:Benin, like many civs, appears to be sitting tight until endgame. If they do something, I'll give them a more in-depth hearing.

Msurdej:Oh no.We've been talking up a war for Oceania for weeks now, but now its finally here. And it is NOT GOOD for Seddon. Seddon has a third of the forces Hawke can muster, and Australia has the production adavantage as well. And that's not even counting the fact that the Metis are also in this war, able to pick off any wayward peacekeepers they find. New Zealand has already been thrown out of the Aussie mainland, but it remains to be seen how much more they lose.

LonelyRollingstar:After they let the Yup’ik live to snipe another day, one could be mistaken for thinking the Haida had some greater war they were gearing up for. Now, with the longest CBRX part yet in the books, it’s safe to say that that’s pretty definitively not the case. The Haida have made no attempt to improve their situation in the many, many turns since we last saw them, damningly frozen at the same borderline between the powers and the rest of the pack that they’ve been languishing in for so long. The Métis, to their right, have among the greatest armies in the world. Shikoku, to their left, has delivered on the promise Haida so stirringly spoke for, becoming a veritable superpower while the salmons did jack squat. The Haida, once, had a path to victory. Now, consigned to the dustbin of history and facing an endgame where a repeat performance of their slow start could come to cost them, it’s fair to say that their chances are all but extinguished.

Gragg9:Nazca has long been ranked relatively low due to bordering Uruguay. Now as we reach the end of the tech tree, that’s not quite as scary as it once was. Make no mistake, Uruguay has a very clear upper had in any potential war, but Nazca is expanding elsewhere as they take 3 cities from Tonga this episode. If they avoid a war with the Guay they could have a shot at dethroning Uruguay in endgame.

Gragg9:The Goths are making their presence known in Europe. What may seem like a inconsequential war to some was a devastating blow to Prussia, delivered by the Goths. The war is not over yet either, as they continue to field a large army on the front border. That dense carpet extends all the way to their West border with relatively few peacekeepers. What’s more is Same are now distracted by a war with the Vikings. Sidenote: The Evenki troops in Europe are just peacekeepers and not involved in any war.

Gragg9:It was mostly missed but Palmyra did a thing! They took the Madagascan city of Nizwa at last. The small victory is not enough to keep them from slipping a rank however. Despite their overall rank of 16, the military is only 21st best and production only 18th best. Despite no catastrophic wars, Palmyra is slipping into mediocrity.

Gragg9:The Qin have the most active wars of any civ on the cylinder. Believe it or not the Khamugs are still one of those wars. They’ve had their go at each other but are mostly trading bombs and missiles at this point. I still think Khamugs nuking the Qin is as good a guess as any for the first nuke. Anway, Qin are still looking pretty solid. They’ve gained production and military but so have the Khamugs.

Gragg9:Venezuela has done spectacular to secure the position they have with unfriendly terrain and nearby giants. Even a war with Uruguay and/or Iroquois would not be fatal to them at this point. I strongly suspect that they will make it to Endgame in a fairly comfortable position, where they will serve as a bump in the road to Uruguay and Iroquois. Sorry if I was getting your hopes up, but I’m still pessimistic about Venezuela’s long term future. In the end winning doesn’t matter. They hold the crown jewel of North America. Jaketown.

Gragg9:I could use the slide image to show the relevant Sami/Vikings front. Or, I could show the supremely entertaining citadel chain from Prussia that’s been there for a bit. Easy choice. Anyway, I don’t know what the Vikings did to tick off so many strong civs, but they’re in for some good ol’ Ragnarok-is-coming warfare. The Sami are the most immediate threat as they bring down many cities in the Viking core to 0. It’s yet to be seen if any will be lost. The Iroquois are also a threat but mostly to the Greenland colonies. While they may seem far flung, the Vikings need all the power they can get going into Endgame where they’ll still border the powerful Sami. Goths and Taungoo shouldn’t be ignored either, as both have large armies which include denizens of peacekeepers. It’s a tough to predict the outcome of this war but I think the Vikings lose minimal cities but significant population. They've already lost a quarter of their military but appear to have plenty left.

Gragg9:I was optimistic about Maratha improving it’s unit comp for so long, but it’s time to face the music. Or maybe not. While Maratha doesn’t look like it will build more melee units as they reach the end of the tech tree, things could be very different in Endgame. They will roll new biases for range/melee unit preferences when the game starts and could very well end up with a far superior army. Their stats are also quickly improving and they could gain a city from Beta Israel with some luck. They are ranked below their stats so don’t give up on these fellas yet.

Gragg9:

The war with Qin has ground to a halt as the peacekeepers move in. It won’t stop the bombs and missiles from flying though. I also see a fair few paratroopers on either side so perhaps we’ll see some cities change hands still. Just don’t get your hopes up. After this war I’m not really sure what’s next for the Khamugs. Given their location and the prevalence of peacekeepers expanding will be as hard as ever.

Gragg9:Break time’s over Grandma, let’s kill some Vikings. The Scandinavian rivalry is beginning a new chapter as conflict resumes between the Vikings and Sami. This time the Sami have a few friends fighting with them. On paper they have a fairly large lead in both production and military. I’m not convinced that will be enough to make many gains at all. They will certainly hamper any Viking expansion efforts though. As Endgame draws nearer, simply lowering neighbors stats will become more important, as stats determine starting bonuses in the next life.

Gragg9:

The recovery has at long last completed and Australia is back on it’s way to conquering Oceania. Many may have missed it, but mainland Australia has finally been unified with the falling of the one remaining New Zealand city. Queanbeyan looks likely to fall soon as well. If this war goes as we expect then we’ll see unprecedented bloodshed in New Zealand as their massive cities get flipped and/or razed. A quick correctional note, Australia is not at war with Tonga, but does seem to be storing their extra armies in their territory. Armies that could be used to attack New Zealand South American holdings. One last note, Australia recently dumped freedom for autocracy. I dearly want to make a political joke here.

LonelyRollingStar:Hm. So, the Métis rose a spot. First of all, nice, couldn’t have happened to a more peacekeeper-heavy civ. Very proud of them. Secondly, why? The Métis are a good civ, yes, but if anything that’s just making them more of a massive target for their southernly neighbors. They have expansion opportunities, but they haven’t gone after them this episode. Their position is damn near the exact same as it was at the end of last part, and many turns have come and gone since then. If anything, what with the Iroquois’s aggressive turn, they should be slipping. So, why are they going up? Why, in world with a bloody morass of also-rans and would-be contenders, do they find themselves rising to the top of the pile? Why- oh, the Vikings are under threat of imminent collapse? Ah. That’d be it, then.

Msurdej:Ablai Khan falls a rank this week, but they remain a strong contender. Having almost finished the Tech Tree, the Kazahks will have a good deal of choices on how to move against the rest of the world. Will they finish off the Nenets? Move south vs Parthia? Take on a distracted Alaric? Clean up the Evenks? Enter into a meat grinder with the Khamugs? Or will they just sit around and not do anything?

Cloudberg:The Moors need to make a move. Seriously. They haven't done anything significant since they curbstomped Songhai and that was in the industrial era. Now don't get me wrong, the Moors' stats are pretty good going into Endgame, but they could be doing even better. They have a pretty strong navy, an okay land army, and some weak neighbours. Now big wars are sometimes disappointing due to peacekeepers, so here's an idea: declare war on the peacekeeping civs too :wink:

LonelyRollingStar:Shikoku drop a spot, but there’s no reason for Japanese fans to fear: given their position, such a fall is almost entirely due to background noise. Really, there’s no reason to feel pessimism about Shikoku in this game at all, now fully acclimated to the life of a superpower re: sleeping. No, it’s the next game that might be the issue. Shikoku had a slow start to their game, munched on by Koreans and Qing alike. With them gone, of course, Shikoku will find themselves in a much more advantageous position than they once were, but with civs like Qin benefiting from the same absences, Shikoku’s island start could be their undoing. Will they be undone by Endgame? Probably not - the boosts are still unknowable, and odds are this is all just meaningless filler meant to buff the word count of an unsalvageable writeup. But can somebody envision a scenario in which that proves their fatal flaw? Clearly, yes.

Gragg9:An uneventful part on the surface but Taungoo had one of the better parts in terms of stats. They’ve moved up to the 3rd largest military, 2nd best production, and highest city count. Ahead of Uruguay in every category. This doesn’t give me much comfort when looking at the Australian/Taungoo border though. As much as we hate to see it, the best strategy for Taungoo may be to remain asleep. I just don’t see a war with any of their neighbors (Qin, Maratha, Australia, Shikoku) ending well with the exception of Canton.

Gragg9:A relatively quiet part for Zimbabwe, but more in the stagnating way and less in the bulking way. They’ve fallen to 4th in military but 6th in production and city count. The reason they keep their position of 3rd id due to their dominance in their section of the continent. Uruguay is the only power able to even scratch them and they’re an ocean away. Come Endgame Africa may well be the strongest starting location with no Ndongo, Algeria, Songhai, Libya, and Beta Israel (their starting location will be their current capital instead of original)

Gragg9:For the first time ever, at least since I started keeping track, not one ranker has put Uruguay in first. ‘Tis truly a glorious day traitors. Uruguay’s inability to use it’s technological advantage has led to powers such as Iroquois to catch up in almost every metric. Make no mistake, the ‘Guay still has a good chance to win, but the days of them being an unbeatable god are gone.

LonelyRollingStar:Hail to the chief. The Iroquois hold on to the top spot for a second straight part, and it’s hard to say it isn’t well-deserved. With science (not to say Iroquois isn’t holding their own in that regard) less and less important as more civs hit the magic number of 122 techs, production is now the most important internal metric, and there the Iroquois have taken a lead that will never be eclipsed. Of course, that’s not really why they’re best of the best right now - not when the Vikings have suddenly found themselves part of an impromptu spitroast. Venetian peacekeepers have kept the Vikings on life support, at least for now, but the Iroquois are hardly lacking in XCOMs, and the Vikings are one disastrously timed open borders cancellation away from losing all of Greenland. Were this game like Mark Two, we’d be anointing the Iroquois rulers of the CBRX forevermore. Even as it is, though, it’s hard to dispute that everyone’s favorite premature Autocracy followers are the best placed to deal with the uncertainty to come.